Barcelona is a nightlife-lover's paradise. Between the city's thriving music scene, liberal drinking laws and the generally hedonistic social attitudes of many Spaniards, you're almost assured a good time when you go out. I have spent many a night wandering the narrow streets of the Barrio Gotico neighborhood, hopping from one tiny bar to the next while enjoying a few mojitos with friends.

If that's not convincing enough, an article in today's Guardian points out that nightlife-lovers have yet another reason to visit Barcelona - a growing trend of "hidden" bars. In recent years an estimated 40-some-odd illegal drinking establishments have sprung up, thanks largely to the okupas, Spanish squatters who occupy the city's many empty buildings.

Spiraling housing costs have put buying or renting apartments out of reach for many Spaniards, who have taken to occupying empty buildings as a last resort. Some of the more enterprising squatters have created bars with their space, earning themselves some extra cash. A few spots to check out include:

• El Mariachi - a favorite hangout for the city's musicians, this quirky spot is nothing more than a few mismatched pieces of furniture. The real highlight is the cocktails, which include the Hydro-Miel, the house specialty mixed with honey. (Corner of Carrer dels Codols and Carrer d'en Rull, Barrio Gotico)
• El Armario - another tiny spot in the El Raval neighborhood. The name in Spanish means "wardrobe," which is accurate: you literally walk past the owner's clothing collection to get inside. (Carrer de la Riereta, El Raval)
• The Front Room - this bar, which does not seem to have an "official" name, occupies a small front room behind a tiny metal door on the Carrer d'en Carabassa. (Metal door opposite 5 Carrer d'en Carabassa, Barrio Gotico)
  

If you want to visit these places, be prepared and be patient. Most don't have signs or set hours of operation, usually opening after 2am when Barcelona's other bars are shutting down. Furthermore, their illegal status makes them targets for closure by police. In other words, have some back-up drinking options. But if you're headed out with an open mind and little bit of persistence, Barcelona's hidden bars look ready to offer a uniquely Spanish "night on the town."

One of the best parts about travel is testing out the gastronomic culture. Eating pan seared duck at Comptoir De La Gastronomie in Paris, horse sashimi in back alleys of Tokyo or terrible borscht on the streets of St. Petersburg is a great way to get in touch with a culture and society by way of your stomach instead of normal visual saturation.

Similarly drinking the popular destination beverage can bring the same experience. Caparinhia's, a sweet lime cocktail are very popular in Brazil and can be made at home by tracking down some cashaca. Thousands of varieties of sake are available in Japan and many can be found at your local liquor store.

What's most fun about being out of the country, however, is enjoying the forbidden beverages -- those that can't even be consumed in the United States.

Which brings us to the Cuba Libre with Havana Club rum. Though the Cuba Libre is quite similar to a standard "rum and coke" and can be made with any rum, the real flavor and purpose of the beverage is best brought out when consumed with Havana Club, a Cuban rum illegal to import into the States. Downing a Cuba Libre gives you that touch of rebellion and that flavor of foreign places that few other drinks can, which is why I often order it when I'm out of the country.

Next time you're outside of our borders, give it a try. Both Canadian and Mexican bars are usually stocked with Havana Club rum and you'll definitely taste a difference between that and Americanized liquors. Maybe someday (soon?) when the trade embargo falls we'll be able to enjoy a little bit of Cuba Libre at home.

Just opened in Pentonville Road, Islington (Greater London) is Surya (Hindi for "Sun" and Sanskrit for "Sun God"), the world's first green nightclub.

It will generate its own electricity when people move on its floors, will operate on solar and wind energy, has air-flush waterless urinals and low-flush toilets, and free entry for cyclists and walkers. Otherwise club entry is £10 and customers must sign a pledge towards helping combat climate change.

Brainchild of Mr.Charalambous, head of Club4Climate, the club's dance floor is made of crystal and ceramic, which when trodden on generates electricity under the concept of "piezoelectricity". This current is fed into nearby batteries, which in turn fuel the club. It is estimated that if a large group of clubbers danced vigorously, they could generate 60% of the club's energy needs.

With aim of inspiring the youth to get involved in tackling the issue of global warming, Charalambous said in the Times of India: "Unless we stop preaching to people and use an inclusive philosophy we're never going to create the revolution to combat climate change." I couldn't agree more.

World travel is a wonderful thing--or can have dire consequences when cultures clash. Having sex in a public place isn't exactly celebrated in western culture, but it's not uncommon--particularly under the cover of night when the stretch of a beach seems private.

In some cultures having "safe sex" is more than using a condom.

In Dubai, if you get caught having sex in public, you will get arrested and face years in jail--six in fact. Such is the possible fate of Michelle Palmer, a British woman who has worked in Dubai for three years. She and her male companion were caught having sex. If all goes well, she might only be in jail for three months--the minimum sentence.

The story is not complicated. Palmer, a manager of ITP Publishing was at a champagne brunch where the bubbly stuff flowed. Eventually, smashed and feeling frisky, she and a man headed to the beach for some adult fun and letting off steam.

Unfortunately, the police came along. Having sex in public in Dubai is not the only big no-no. So is having sex if you are unmarried. So is being drunk. Three strikes, you're out. Or in--as in jail.

This article in MailOnline gives the scoop. As I'm reading between the lines, I see a traveler's tale that is not so uncommon of others I've heard. When living in a culture that is different from ones own, it's difficult to stay vigilant--to not slide into comfort and think that you're safe when you are being yourself.

These women SHOULD have gotten jail time, no?

I've never understood how the concept of a silent rave ever got popular. People in a club listening and dancing to their own music on headphones. The hook is around the fact that you can dance to whatever music you want in a social environment.

How is this fun? Why wouldn't you just do the same at home? It's a social thing, but when do you talk? On drink breaks?

The concept originated in the Netherlands some years ago under the notion of "going wild in silence", and ever since has been floating around Europe. A couple of months ago, Union Square in New York held a huge "Silent Disco", apparently the first ever in New York.

In Madrid, it's come on a small scale. Organized by a youth center at their premises, I can't imagine it to attract too large of a crowd, but then again, it's Madrid -- you just don't know.

According to the CNN, the DJ's involved in introducing the concept say that they are confident that in the ever changing world of clubbing, it's better to be seen than heard. Hmmm.

I'd go to watch, but I doubt you can get away with just being a spectator to this silliness. Maybe I'll just go and join in.

The Netherlands has long been known as one of the most tolerant countries in the world. But as of July 1, that famous live-and-let-live attitude will no longer extend to tobacco. That's the day a ban on smoking in public places of employment takes effect in the Netherlands. Well, not all smoking.

Yes, while smoking tobacco in public is soon to be verboten, smoking a joint (that's a "marijuana cigarette" for you squares) will remain legal in the Netherlands. But, as this article notes, Dutch potheads don't feel too lucky that their drug of choice is still legal. That's because many of them cut their joints with tobacco.

The Dutch government is not prohibiting marijuana smokers from rolling "pure" joints, and it's likely that many smokers who had previously mixed marijuana and tobacco will switch to smoking "pure." Interestingly, there's not yet a way for government inspectors to determine whether a joint is "pure" or cut with tobacco (other than testing it themselves, I suppose.)

Smoking tobacco will still be permitted inside the famous Dutch coffee shops, but only in separate rooms without employees, which many shop owners say they can't afford to provide.

More here.

I love beer. For me, beer is also a drink that goes hand-in-hand with travel. It's available just about everywhere from Asia to America to Africa, yet no two places are alike when it comes to the preferred local brand. One of the first things I do when I arrive in a new place is try out the local beer. My reaction is usually a good sign of things to come. Is the beer watered-down and tasteless? Not a good sign for the rest of my trip.

Thankfully this past weekend I found myself in Washington DC, home of the beer paradise that is The Brickskeller. This beer institution in our nation's capital has one of the most extensive beer lists anywhere in the world, boasting a place in the Guinness Book of World Records with over 1,000 offerings in-house. Ever tried a smoked beer from Germany? Take a pick from their numerous list. Wonder what beer from Ecuador tastes like? Not good. Looking for a classic Belgian Trappist beer? The Brickskeller has got you covered there too. There are so many beer choices at The Brickskeller that you'll be full (or drunk) before you even scratch the surface.

If you find yourself absorbing some culture in Washington this summer, head up to the city's DuPont Circle neighborhood and sample a few bottles of your favorite domestic or foreign brew. And make sure to try a few you've never heard of - it's sure to impress your globetrotting friends.

Looking for more spots to quench your thirst? Check out this previous Gadling list of the best places for beer.

Todos Santos, once Baja's sugarcane capital, is a small town located about an hour outside of Cabo San Lucas. Known for its laid back vibe, great surfing and large artisan community, this small pueblo has managed to retain some authenticity in spite of the huge growth of tourism here in the last 15 years.

We chose to settle here for a few months so we could complete a work project before continuing on our drive. When we were looking for a place to stay we knew that a city like Cabo San Lucas was not for us, but realized the benefits of being close to a bigger city. With Todos Santos located only an hour away from Cabo, it was pretty much the perfect fit. So far it has been great; it's easy to work here and, for a relatively small town, there is quite a bit to do. Those who prefer activity packed vacations will probably prefer to only spend a day or two here. But for the more laid back traveler who prefers to mosey through their holiday time Todos Santos offers a great mix of activities and allows for ample down time.

Here is what you can do in Todos Santos:

Cockpit Chronicles takes you along on each of Kent's trips as a co-pilot on the Boeing 757 and 767 out of Boston.

I'd like to welcome Gadling's latest blogger, Heather Poole and her feature, Galley Gossip. Gadling had been looking for a flight attendant's perspective of this industry and I'm glad they found it in Heather. If you haven't read any of her posts, I highly recommend "Sandvich Girl," which details a little of her past before she gave it all up to join the nomadic existence of a crew member. I've passed along her posts to my sister, who's a flight attendant for an airline that sports an Eskimo on its tail and to my wife, who worked for 6 years as a flight attendant and they could both relate to her immediately.

I think bloggers often get inspiration and motivation when reading the comments to posts. Heather's post called "Answer Please" made it around the world a few times and, judging from the comments, she was a bit misunderstood. She pointed out one annoyance with her job, an issue I've heard from many flight attendants; with iPods and movie earphones plugged in, it's often hard to get a passenger's attention to offer them a drink.

Many of the readers thought she was being ungrateful for her job or just complaining too much, but that's part of why she writes. She's trying to give an insight into the good and the bad of her job. And she cracks me up.

The gloves are coming off, Virgin America: you may be offering free drinks on your Wednesday flights all month. You may have hottie hot hot models on your flights and Richard Branson as your playboy financier. You might even have super crazy in-seat chatting on your personalized LCD screens.

But we can beat that. Because we're giving away free drinks for ANY DAY OF THE WEEK on United Airlines right here at Gadling. That's right, by commenting on this post you can register yourself to win two free beverages on ANY United Airlines flight in the month of June. Flying on a Monday or Saturday? No problem, drinks are on us.

We'll pick two lucky winners to send two vouchers each. We only ask that you're over 21 years of age and that you actually be flying on a United Airlines flight before June 30, when the tickets expire. Feel free to also wear a "Gadling Rules | Virgin America Drools" t-shirt on your flight and take a picture -- but we're not requiring it.

• To enter, simply leave a comment below.
  
• The comment must be left before Friday, June 6 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
• You may enter only once.
• Two winners will be selected in a random drawing.
• Two Grand Prize Winner will receive two beverage vouchers each (valued at $10.00)
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.
• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 21 and older.